Superb cinematic experience

Rating: 10/10 (2 June 2006)

With "The Legend of 1900" Giuseppe Tornatore is presenting one most imaginative, poetic, expressive and intriguing piece of great art work about music, talent, friendship, love, compassion but also fears.
In the beginning of the movie, set at the turn of the 20th century, the director creates with love and admiration the scenes of thousands of people who come on ship to America, full of hope, courage and sense of adventure. They get hastily from the ship to step on the long awaited land. It is hard to forget the face of the boy in whose irises the silhouette of New York was reflecting. I do not recall seeing more powerful image of anticipation in person's eyes in films.
Then trough flashback  the contrast to that excitement of the unknown is presented.
The large transatlantic liner "The Virginian " has a secret: there is a boy born and hidden on board. The boy becomes a man, a brilliant piano player, involved deeply in the beautiful music he creates for the entertainment of the guest - rich and poor. His emotional understanding of people expands beyond the ordinary. He creates musical vignettes on the piano about men and women who surround him, and his music reflects amazingly the person character or thoughts at the moment. While this extraordinary musician is blessed with the gift to create unheard beautiful music for the pleasure of his audience as the world comes to him, his life is very uneventful and solitary. Most of the time he is pensive or appears longing, but not sad, as his music is usually very uplifting. However, he is bound to the sheep as a child to his mother and cannot overcome the fear of leaving it. Even the prospect of visiting the girl who sweeps him with her beauty and kindness is not motivating enough to make him step on the mainland. This most creative and extraordinary man is frozen in some fears of the unexpected that change can bring. He runs frantically and hides from the people who came to ask him to a piano duel. Perhaps of his unusual upbringing  forced to hide from everyone in the bottom of the ship during the first eight years of his life his vision about ordinary events is distorted, and he rather hide than face real life, as we know it. Whatever the interpretation may be  literal or symbolic, he is a fascinating character whose image will stay with me forever. At the end he is explaining his wish for a status quo and about being afraid of not what he sees but what he doesn't see. Unfortunately, his inability or refusal to face reality leads to his destruction.
The story, told by his friend, the trumpet player through series of flashbacks is challenging the viewer with the unexpected turns. The highly imaginative scenes about playing the rolling piano (with the brakes off) in the ballroom, while the ship is rocked by the stormy waters, and the tension and exuberance at the piano duel are unforgettable - make me wish I had a chance to be present during their shooting.
Film making has the potential to be the most powerful art of our time and Giuseppe Tornatore has proved again that he can reach these heights and beyond.
Never seen better Tom Roth. The cinematography of Lajos Koltai is breathtaking and the music of Ennio Morricone is amazing, makes you believe the legend. Bravo to all participants. Ten stars of course!
Sorry, I do not relate to the song at the end.